Snakes and Ladders

Saapshidi is a story of chance—and internalised oppression. Eleven-year-old Amruta has become so accustomed to the habitual uncertainties her dominant father has ingrained into her life that, for every dice she throws in a game of snakes and ladders, she’s come to believe a serpentine attack is imminent.

  • Mayura Dolas
    Director
  • Mandar Kulkarni
    Writer
  • Mayura Dolas
    Writer
  • Avani Patki
    Producer
  • Suyog Patki
    Producer
  • Pranjali Shrikant
    Key Cast
    "Amruta Nikam"
    Welcome Home
  • Prathamesh Joshi
    Key Cast
    "Rajesh Nikam"
  • Ketaki Saraf
    Key Cast
    "Anita Nikam"
    Tapaal, Bhar Dupari, Dhagad, etc
  • Jyoti Subhash
    Key Cast
    "Nani"
    Gully Boy, Sairat, Fandry, Rajwade and Sons, etc
  • Kaivalya Mulay
    Key Cast
    "Sameer Nikam"
  • Mayura Dolas
    Art Direction
  • Mayura Dolas
    Costume
  • Rahul Zende
    Cinematography
  • Rahul Zende
    Editors
  • Mandar Kulkarni
    Editors
  • Saket Kanetkar
    Background Music
  • Suved Kulkarni
    Executive Producer
  • Ruchita Bhujbal
    Chief Assistant Director
  • Shruti Madhudeep
    Assistant Director
  • Ruchita Bhujbal
    Production Design
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Saapshidi
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 13, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Marathi
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2020
    Bengaluru
    India
    August 15, 2021
    World Premiere
    1st Runner Up
  • Dharamshala International Film Festival 2020
    Dharamshala
    India
    Official Selection
  • Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati 2021
    Cincinnati
    United States
    August 5, 2021
    North American Premiere
    Nominee, Best Film
  • Durgapur International Short Film Festival 2020
    Durgapur
    India
    Best Director
  • Mumba International Short Film Festival 2022
    Pune
    India
    Best film - 3rd prize, Best Child Actor - Girl, Best Sound Design
  • Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival 2020
    Kolkata
    India
    Best Screenplay and Best Child Actor
  • Vintage International Film Festival 2020
    Kolhapur
    India
    Best Child Actor and Special Jury
  • Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2020
    Delhi
    India
    Honorable Jury Mention Award
  • The Empty Space Film Festival 2020
    Pune
    India
    Best Actor, Best Actress, 3rd Best Film
  • Pune Short Film Festival 2020
    Pune
    India
    Official Selection
  • International Film Festival of Shimla 2020
    Shimla
    India
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Mayura Dolas

Mayura, is a software professional running an ed-tech start up, Driya Interactive. She gets excited about technology and entrepreneurship. She cares and stands for the quality of education.

Being a storyteller at heart, she has chosen film as a medium to tell stories of women, freedom and rationality.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Freedom is an idea that is very close to my heart. While writing and directing this film of the oppressed who do not realize the freedom that they get by chance, I knew that this could have been a film of the son or wife of the oppressor, but I chose it to be daughter's because very rarely we see films that feature an adolescent girl as a protagonist unless the film is about teenage love or sex education.